It's good to let members submit their own, personal, news to the community.

You don't have to use it, but you really should.

When members get a new job, get engaged/married, have children, publish a book, or another milestone, it's good for the sense of community to mention it; regardless of the community's topic.

The 'congratulations to…' posts work well in all communities. You can have a weekly/monthly roundup if you like. This week we're congratulations Matt on the birth of his children, Susan on her new job, and wishing Robert all the best for his wedding.

To many organizations, this might seem frivolous compared with the important task of information exchange. For community pros, they should see how powerful these frivolous posts really are for bringing a community together.